The Why Change? Podcast is coming to you live from the BOOST Conference! Jeff M. Poulin chats with DeLashea Strawder - the Executive and Artistic Director of Mosaic Youth Theatre and recent Recipient of the 2021 Lewis Prize For Music - about innovative arts-based youth work in the BOOST podcast lounge. He also chats with Dalouge Smith, CEO of The Lewis Prize for Music about new models of philanthropy in music for social change programs.
In this episode you’ll learn:
How we can best serve creative youth during challenging times;
The impact investment of time and money into youth and youth programs can have; and
New models for philanthropy in the arts and social impact sector.
Check out some of the things mentioned during this podcast, including:
ABOUT DELASHEA STRAWDER
A champion of arts and culture and its inherent ability to motivate, empower and mobilize, DeLashea Strawder celebrates every opportunity to inspire individuals and communities to embrace the arts as vehicles for positive change. She is the Executive & Artistic Director of the internationally acclaimed Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit, a creative youth development organization that uses the arts to mentor, empower, and support youth to thrive. As an artist and arts administrator working at the intersection of education, arts & culture, and social justice Strawder knows firsthand how music and theater can foster engagement, transform communities, increase opportunity, and promote equity.
WHERE TO FIND DELASHEA
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/delashea-strawder-00686759
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/MosaicDetroit/
ABOUT DALOUGE SMITH
Dalouge is a champion for bringing people together and strengthening communities through music. He joined The Lewis Prize for Music as its first CEO in August 2018. Prior to his role at The Lewis Prize, he led San Diego Youth Symphony and Conservatory for 13 years and transformed it into a community instigator for restoring and strengthening music education in schools. SDYS' partner, the Chula Vista Elementary School District (California’s largest K-6 district) restored music and arts education to all 30,000 of its students as a result. Dalouge grew up singing folk songs with family and performing in professional theatre productions. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in World Arts and Cultures from UCLA and studied Gandhi’s nonviolent movement for a year in India. Dalouge serves as Vice-Chair of El Sistema USA and is on the boards of California Arts Advocates and Californians for the Arts. He is married to Sue Ann and the father of Wright.
This episode of Why Change? A Podcast for the Creative Generation was powered by Creative Generation. It was produced and edited by Daniel Stanley. Artwork by Bridget Woodbury. Music by Distant Cousins.
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Jeff M. Poulin
This is Why Change? A Podcast for Creative Generation. We are your hosts. I'm Jeff.
Karla Estela Rivera
Hola. Hola, soy Karla.
Rachael Jacobs
It's Rachel here.
Ashraf Hasham
What's good, y'all. I'm Ashraf.
Madeleine McGirk
And I'm Madeline.
Jeff M. Poulin
Why Change? is a podcast that brings listeners around the globe to learn how arts, culture and creativity, especially as applied by young people, can change the world, one community at a time. You're invited each week to learn and laugh while exploring the question: why change? Alright, let's get started. Welcome to today's episode of the Why Change? podcast. I'm your host, Jeff M. Poulin, and I'm so excited to bring you a live recording from the 2021 BOOST conference. BOOST (or, Best Of Out of School Time) held a virtual conference from April 27 to 30th, 2021, bringing together over 2500 out of school time practitioners from across the United States and around the world. I had the pleasure of attending my first BOOST conference five years ago in Palm Springs, California. It was a true oasis of professional learning surrounded by mountains, the desert, palm trees, and more. This year was a little bit different–everything was online. But, the energy and expertise of those boosters was unstoppable. I had the pleasure of sitting down with DeLashea Strawder who is the Executive and Artistic Director of Mosaic Youth Theatre in Detroit, Michigan, in the BOOST podcast lounge. DeLashea is a champion of arts and culture and its inherent ability to motivate, empower, and mobilize. She says that she celebrates every opportunity to inspire individuals and communities to embrace the arts as vehicles for empowering positive change, especially through her work at Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit, which is a creative Youth Development Organization–using the arts to mentor, empower, and support youth to thrive. As an artist and an arts administrator who works at the intersection of education, arts and culture and social justice. DeLashea knows firsthand how music and theater can foster engagement, transform communities, increase opportunity, and promote equity, as she's an alumni of the program. She often shares this knowledge as a national leader, working on field building and action through creative youth development, national partnership, and more. Earlier this year, she received the prestigious Lewis Prize for music, honoring her work. In just a moment, you'll get to hear this interview, but you may notice a slight disruption in the audio halfway through. This was due to a technical glitch in the live event, but we fixed it in editing; just wanted you to know. And following that you'll hear more about the Lewis Prize for music from the organization's leader to Dalouge Smith. Enjoy. Are you a student, recent graduate or career-changer, ooking for an opportunity to grow your skills? Or do you know someone who is? I want to tell you about Creative Generation’s Summer Residency Program. We at Creative Generation encourage systemic change by working within and disrupting the current structures of the arts and culture, education, and social change sectors. Recognizing some of the long-standing negative impacts of the traditional internship model, our organization seeks to mentor new professionals entering our fields with the necessary tools, training, and resources that will aid them in changing the landscape for our future. This virtual program will span 10 weeks from around June 7 to August 20 2021, and includes learning opportunities, professional work experiences, mentorship opportunities, and a capstone project. The program is specifically tailored to benefit undergrads, graduate students, recent graduates and career-changers. Applications are due on Monday, May 17 2021, by 12 noon Eastern Standard Time. For more information and to apply, please visit www.creative-generation.org/workwithus. Hello, everyone, and welcome to today's live podcast session. Coming to you from the Virtual BOOST conference. We were just lamenting behind the scenes that it is too bad that we're not all in Palm Springs, but, for the vast majority of the country, we're getting a little Palm Springs heat wave. So, I hope that everyone is getting outside and enjoying that–potentially even listening in from an outdoor space. My name is Jeff Poulin, and I'm the managing director of Creative Generation. We're an organization that's based in Washington, D.C. but works globally to support young creatives who are catalysts for social change, as well as those who are committed to cultivating their creativity. We formed as an organization about two years ago out of a research project that actually ties some of its roots back to the very BOOST conference that happened in Palm Springs in 2019. And from our global set of research, we have sought to understand how applied creativity as cultivated through community based youth organizations can really benefit communities, connections, and the world. We believe that developing creative capabilities in young people allow them to be catalysts for creative social transformation. So, one of our big efforts is called the Campaign for Creative Generation, which is a visibility effort that happens around the world. Part of that is a podcast, which actually launched earlier this year, called Why Change? A Podcast for the Creative Generation. So, we're really excited to bring you today's live recording of the Why Change? podcast from the virtual BOOST conference with our very special guest, our interviewee, DeLashea Strawder. Can you help me welcome DeLashea to the podcast?
DeLashea Strawder
Thank you so much for having me here.
Jeff M. Poulin
Excellent. No, it is my pleasure, DeLashea.Welcome to the Why Change? podcast. We're really excited to have you here to understand a little bit more about you as an artist, your work with young people in Detroit, and really how you have been a cultivator of creativity in young people who are catalyzing social change to benefit not only themselves, not only your community, but ultimately the world at large. So, to help people get to know you a little bit better. Can you tell us a little bit about your own origin story? What are your roots, and how did you end up doing the work that you do with Mosaic Youth Theatre?
DeLashea Strawder
Absolutely. So, peace, everybody. I am DeLashea Strawder. My pronouns are she/her, and I am the Executive and Artistic Director at Mosaic Youth Theater Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. During the time that I was growing up, Detroit Public Schools had a robust arts program. And so, from the time I was a wee one, through my collegiate experience, I had some really amazing artists in my life that poured into me not just artistically, but also personally. And so I got bit by the bug, if you will, early on, in my maturation, just, you know, understanding how the arts could be a safe place for me. I was a smart kid, and often felt like I was kind of being put in a box because I was a smart kid. So, I wasn't necessarily challenged to stretch, and to really think about all of the things that I might dream about or want to do, but was kind of put on a path to do math and sciences. And those things were important, and they were cool. But, what I would come to learn as I grew older, and ended up joining Mosaic as a young person was that I had a unique gift for making things clear and accessible and hearing people in a way that they didn't feel like they were heard elsewhere. And so I had an opportunity to teach as early as 16, my own class, if you will, and lead a group of young people to finding their voice and what made them happy and excited and how they could use their art not only to process what was going on in their world, but also to elevate things that were important to them. And, after my experiences in that, I realized that that was something that I wanted to continue to do. So, throughout my collegiate journey, I had an opportunity to come back to Mosaic and start teaching and helping out and then kind of matriculated up through the proverbial ranks, if you will. And, when the founder, Rick Sperling, retired in 2019, I was then the Associate Artistic Director, moved into the Executive and Artistic Director role.
Jeff M. Poulin
Thanks for sharing that. I love that you highlighted your unique ability for, kind of, distilling those complex topics and helping elevate people's creativity. I know I have experienced that myself in rooms with you sharing space, usually hotel ballrooms at conferences. But you do have that really unique ability. And I've seen it play out not only with the young people that you work with, but also in helping to grow and cultivate this sector that we work in together around creative youth development. But before we get into that, I want to ask a little bit about Mosaic. You said that you grew up in those programs, and now you lead them. So, for those attending the BOOST conference, who are mostly out of school time youth workers, tell us about Mosaic and what the organization does.
DeLashea Strawder
Thank you. So we are a creative youth development organization, and, for us, what that means is that we use the arts, particularly music, theatre and technical theater, as a opportunity to earn mentoring relationships with young people, and to help them to cultivate the skills that they need to thrive not only in their teen years, but into adulthood, including recognizing their unique brilliance, and how they can use their art to create positive change in their neighborhoods, and in their lives, and in the world. We've been around for about 30 years in the 22/23 season. And in that time, we've had the opportunity to walk alongside young people from across the Detroit area to travel to Africa, Asia, and Europe and 25 states and provinces throughout the US and Canada, and work to support young people to graduate high school on time. And 95% of the young people that have participated in our youth ensembles also go to college, in addition to having quite a bit of nice scholarship money from places like Juilliard, NYU, and and and.
Jeff M. Poulin
That's fantastic, and congratulations to all of those young artists that are pursuing their dreams, both in the arts and outside of the arts. I love that, and I I know the really successful track record of Mosaic in that idea of sort of earning those mentorship relationships and walking alongside those young people. But I'm going to brag on you just a little bit and say that DeLashea is also a nationally known leader, really catalyzing some field-building and momentum generation in bringing this disparate field, or what was once a disparate field, of creative youth development programs all across the United States together to build some collective action. Can you talk a little bit about that connection between, you know, what you're doing on a national or even international scale and how that translates to the work that you do in the lives of young people in Detroit every day?
DeLashea Strawder
Absolutely. So, I think that as a person who has a proverbial seat at the table, it's my responsibility to make sure that young people are heard, not just heard, but also listened to, and that they are given plenty of opportunities to both share their voice, elevate the things that are important to them. And that also that we continue to pour into the teaching artists that are giving of themselves so generously in order to ensure that young people have these opportunities. So, when given the opportunity to work with the National Action Team and Skill Building team for Creative Youth Development, I did so with great intentionality of making sure that we're taking care of our people, so that we can continue to take care of and support young people. And so, there's a lot of research and fieldbuilding that is taking place nationally to figure out how to support the kind of these coalitions that are developing across the country of youth serving organizations and creative youth development organizations who are trying to expand how they stand in the gap. Because we know that schools are doing a lot, but they don't have all of the resources to be able to do everything. And so, you know, continuing to support that network and to make sure that people have the resources that they need to continue to grow, and to be able to tap into best practices and learn from each other is hugely important as it's a large part of the work that we're doing right now.
Jeff M. Poulin
So, I know in the last few months, there's been some real craziness happening in the world, that it's affecting everyone's community–from the global health pandemic, to the economic recession, to the civil uprisings after the killing of Black and Brown folks at the hands of police. And I know I had a really transformative experience from the artistic work that the young people of Mosaic Youth Theater created in response to this. Can you tell us a little bit of your reflection back over the last year and the catalyzing power of creativity that you saw from the young people at Mosaic?
DeLashea Strawder
Yeah, so, many artists see art not only as an opportunity to share beauty with the world, but also to use it as a resource to heal oneself. And so, although we were presented with this challenge that we could not convene in the way that we had previously, because we couldn't come together physically into a space, the young artists made it very clear from the from the announcement that things were going to have to close down that they wanted to still keep this safe space, if you will, both literally and figuratively, or finding a way to get through the moments, but also to help other folks through what has now become over a year of an experience that we're all experiencing together. And so, we've explored that with them in a variety of different ways, including creating new work that spoke to the multiple health crises that are happening in our country, and also some of the hopes and dreams that they have for the future–be it a day from now or 10 years from now. And that has looked like you know, doing a monthly series of releases about the impact that unsung, if you will, Black and Brown folks, women in particular, have contributed to a lot of the things that we take for granted today. That looks like writing new music, about, you know, the state of the earth, and humans’ impact on what is happening to it. That has been, you know, creating a poetic theatrical piece around how the impact of COVID is wreaking havoc on Black and Brown communities, and we need to do something about that, and that it can't just be something that kind of sneaks off in the night and no one pays attention to. And I think one of the things that has made it that much more special, if you will, is that they aren't – it's not just a process for them to heal themselves, which in itself is honorable and beautiful and brilliant. But, they want to make sure that it's excellent work, because they don't want the title, if you will, to scare people off; if what draws them in is that it's excellent work, and then they are hit with the things, then it'll prompt them to do more about it. And that's coming from them.
Jeff M. Poulin
That's awesome. I love that perspective. That piece in particular, This Is Not A Drill: State of Emergence, I believe it's called, is something that is essential watching, in my opinion, for anyone who works with young people today. And we'll go ahead and drop that link to the video that was produced in our show notes for everyone to watch as their homework after this episode. But through all of that, you know, we've seen this wonderful work that's been created by young people.We've seen your organization continue to not only exist, but to thrive through these crises, continuing to achieve your mission. And we also saw you personally receive some really fantastic recognition. So, DeLashea was one of the recipients of the Lewis Prize, which is a very notable recognition in the field of music for social change work. Can you tell us a little bit about what that was like to be recognized with this great award, and how it will continue to impact your work and the work of Mosaic Youth Theatre in the future.
DeLashea Strawder
And, full transparency, when Dalouge called me, I cried for pretty much the entirety of our call. Yeah. So you know, one of the things that is core to who we are, is making sure that young people have equitable access to transformative arts experiences. And what a gift like that does is not only helps us to expand in terms of breadth, but depth, right–to be able to show up in a time where folks can't convene together, to be able to go to where they are, and make sure that they know that not only are people here for them, but that they have the resources that they need within themselves to both guide themselves through things as well as other people around them. And so we're extremely excited about the platform that this will provide for Detroit area young people to really change the narrative about what's going on in the city and about what young people think is important, right? And to be able to do that through the art just makes it even more accessible for us to have conversations around.
Jeff M. Poulin
Certainly, and we were definitely cheering you on Creative Generation, we love the recognition that comes from the Lewis Prize. And we know your work very well and really do sort of wish you all the best, leveraging that to continue on your mission. As all of our listeners at Creative Generation or with the Why Change? podcast really focus our work in youth development, in education, creativity, and social change all around the world, from your perspective, and all of the different roles that you've played as an artist yourself, as a youth worker, as an artistic and executive director, as an award recipient, as a national thinker–where do you think we should be focusing our efforts in the future to best support the next generation of young creatives who will change the world?
DeLashea Strawder
I really think that helping folks to take the blinders off. And I mean that with young people, as well as with young at heart folk, when you're in kindergarten, what your imagination is able to tap into is, like, beyond what we can even think about as adults. And it's because you haven't bought into an ideology of lack or “I can't.” And if we could continue to cultivate that innovation, we have to tap into the endless possibilities that, you know, we see as kindergarteners, right? And so how can we continue to encourage that otherworldly thinking, that creativity. How do we continue to instill that excitement to dream big, no matter what age or stage you're in, and take off that fear of whatever it is–“fear of…” And so I definitely think that that's an area that we need to focus on. We need to remind folks that they are full of unlimited potential. And that there is no wrong answer, right? There are just different opportunities for exploring things in different ways.
Jeff M. Poulin
I totally agree. And that is something that we're committed to at Creative Generation, which is why, during the Why Change? podcast, we get to know people from all over the world, you know? We have guests from so many different perspectives that work towards opening up our eyes, you know, to so many different perspectives, and how we can continue to navigate the complexities of the world–the ever changing world, as exemplified in the last year or more-to to be able to continue on our path to what we know to be true and right and worth our investment of time, which is young people and artistic expression and creativity and continuous progressive social change. So, one of the ways that we do that is through a series of just quick-fire questions that we send the way of all of our interviewees to just get to know a little bit about what keeps you going and how you continue on to do the work that you do. So, five quick questions. Are you ready, DeLashea?
DeLashea Strawder
Let's go.
Jeff M. Poulin
Alright, who inspires you?
DeLashea Strawder
My children.
Jeff M. Poulin
What keeps you motivated?
DeLashea Strawder
Love and light exists in the world, and we have a responsibility to find it.
Jeff M. Poulin
Where are you most grounded?
DeLashea Strawder
Ooh, I would say my heart chakra, if that makes sense. I am guided by every decision, every choice that I make, it has to sit right in my heart.
Jeff M. Poulin
How do you stay focused?
DeLashea Strawder
I know that there are many that came before me that made incredible sacrifices in order for me to be able to do what it is that I do. And so, both for those past and those to come, I have work to do.
Jeff M. Poulin
And, last but not least, why change?
DeLashea Strawder
Anything that doesn't evolve shall perish. And so, we gotta keep on trucking, until our mission is complete.
Jeff M. Poulin
Well, DeLashea, thank you so much for being with us on the Why Change? podcast, coming to you live from the BOOST conference online. It's really wonderful to spend time with you–to get to know more about your story, your work, the impact that it has in the world, and a little bit about what keeps you ticking. So, thank you from all of us for being here, and thank you to all of our listeners live and online after the fact. Thank you all so much, and have a great rest of your day.
DeLashea Strawder
Thank you.
Jeff M. Poulin
I so love chatting with DeLashea about her work. Her positive energy and responsive outlook centering young artists inspires me every time we see each other. During our conversation, you heard a bit about the Lewis Prize for Music, which is a new organization honoring excellent creative youth development leaders and programs, like DeLashea and Mosaic Youth Theater. Their approach to philanthropy at the lowest price for music is incredibly transformative, in my humble opinion. So, I wanted to talk to their CEO, Dalouge Smith, about how and why the organization has chosen to invest in this particular way. Beyond his work at the Lewis Prize, Dalouge has been a champion for bringing people together and strengthening communities through music in his own right. Previously, he led the San Diego Youth Symphony and conservatory for 13 years and transformed it into a community instigator for restoring and strengthening music education. In this work, they partnered with the Chula Vista Elementary School District, California's largest kindergarten through sixth grade district, and restored music to over 30,000 of its students. He himself is also an artist, singing folk songs from a young age and performing in professional theater. Now, learn a bit more about Dalouge and his work at the Lewis Prize for Music, after a quick ad.
CG Residency Advertisement/Jeff M. Poulin
Are you a student, recent graduate or career- changer, looking for an opportunity to grow your skills? Or do you know someone who is? I want to tell you about Creative Generation’s Summer Residency Program. We at Creative Generation encourage systemic change by working within and disrupting the current structures of the arts and culture, education, and social change sectors. Recognizing some of the long-standing negative impacts of the traditional internship model, our organization seeks to mentor new professionals entering our fields with the necessary tools, training, and resources that will aid them in changing the landscape for our future. This virtual program will span 10 weeks from around June 7 to August 20 2021, and includes learning opportunities, professional work experiences, mentorship opportunities, and a capstone project. The program is specifically tailored to benefit undergrads, graduate students, recent graduates and career-changers. Applications are due on Monday, May 17 2021, by 12 noon Eastern Standard Time. For more information and to apply, please visit www.creative-generation.org/workwithus.
Jeff M. Poulin
Welcome to the Why Change? podcast. I'm really excited to be here today with Dalouge Smith, who is the CEO of the Lewis Prize. We've heard a little bit already from DeLashea Strawder, who's one of this year's Lewis Prize recipients. And we wanted to share a little bit about the work that the Lewis Prize does to support the work of DeLashea and others. So, Dalouge, will you tell us just a little bit about the Lewis Prize and how it got started?
Dalouge Smith
Yes! Hi, Jeff. Great to be here. Thanks so very much for this invitation. Happy to share a little bit about the Lewis Prize for Music. So, we are a United States-based philanthropy, founded by philanthropist Daniel Lewis. And we focus on leaders who are creating positive change for young people through music. This is primarily in diverse communities, particularly young people who have experienced the most marginalization in our society, are in circumstances that have under-resourced their opportunities to thrive. And so, we're really committed to both making sure that young people have full access to music learning opportunities, but that those music learning opportunities are really about their holistic wellbeing. And we give a set of awards every year. This is a five year project at a minimum. And these awards are $500,000 each for multiple years for the awardee and their organization to use as they believe is most appropriate for both the young people they're working with and the kind of place they are as an organization.
Jeff M. Poulin
That's fantastic, and a truly transformative type of investment for some of these programs that are doing great work. I know you're in your second year so far. So can you tell us a little bit about what the journey has been like to work with these amazing programs that you've had the pleasure of working with?
Dalouge Smith
Sure. So first, what I want to say is that we have, from the very, very founding of the Lewis Prize, even before I was brought on as the first staff member, the effort has been a community-informed effort. And so, started with meetings in cities across the United States, a whole range of musicians, youth-workers, funders, and all of those meetings being predominantly BIPOC attendees. So, we have started with community input, and then at multiple steps and stages along the way, we have woven community input into the overall process. We actually had an institute prior to the first first application being open. We had 45 people from around the country come together and really help us design and write the first application. And subsequent to that, we've had people involved as our readers, as our panel members. And in both of the years we've actually put young people into the middle of the process as well. The first year, we had a youth panel make the determination of who should move from the semi-finalists stage to the finalists stage. And, in this past year, we actually had young people, young adults, reading and rating the applicants side by side with older adults. So, in all those steps and stages, the kind of the ultimate result is landing on the organizations that we have given the awards to. And so, the reason I'm giving you all of that in response to this question is to say that the work we're doing at the Lewis Prize is not just with the folks we're giving the awards to. The work that we're doing is really an attempt to work with the entirety of the creative youth development field and young people who have benefited from creative youth development programs, and have all of that relational work become the driver to the results of the actual awards. And then take it further by lifting up the work that we're giving awards to, lifting up the young people, lifting up their work, lifting up the leadership that are there running those programs. And so, that that becomes a kind of whole ‘nother range of engagement. And we really are committed to bringing a lot of resource, not just the dollars, but other kinds of resource to these programs–visibility to these programs, building out their networks, and kind of creating a tighter web of relationship for them as well.
Jeff M. Poulin
That's fantastic. That type of wraparound support, not only for a handful of awardees each year, but for the entire field is something that we don't see a lot in philanthropy. So, I applaud that effort. We had the opportunity to sit down with DeLashea Strawder at the BOOST conference in a live podcast interview. And she's one of your bigger awardees this year, one of the top standout programs that you're working with. Can you tell us a little bit about what made her work stand out to the Lewis Prize and the excellent projects that are coming out of Mosaic Youth Theatre in Detroit, and what that might mean for others through the efforts that you'll be doing together?
Dalouge Smith
Sure. So, first, let me just add one more piece of context in terms of the Lewis Prize and our focus and orientation. We know there is amazing, amazing work going on in programs all across the country, really all across the world, of course. But so many of those programs focus essentially on the singular delivery of experience for young people, and they don't address the larger systemic inequities that are actually creating the conditions whereby young people are not getting access in any other form to music or other artistic learning experiences, educational opportunities, wellbeing supports. So, a principal characteristic of the Lewis Prize is looking for programs that are thinking about not only their direct service, but also the ways in which that direct service translates into systemic change and influence. And so, you put that alongside principles of overall equity and representation and belonging, put that alongside principles and practices of youth leadership, youth agency, and voice. And we're looking for a kind of holistic picture in any of the organizations that we're giving awards to. And so, Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit is an example of that. So, I'm gonna actually start with the fact that DeLashea herself is an alum of the program. And so, the fact that the person who leads that organization is someone who grew up in it, was a teaching artist in it, became a leader in it, and has now become the organizational leader. That's so representative of multiple facets of what we're focused on and interested in. And then when you really get to engage with the young people who are there, now, I want to give a shout out to the young people. We did a virtual site visit, and they pulled off a singing performance on Zoom. I don't know that I had ever seen that achieved anywhere else. And so, that, you know, that really speaks to the artistry, which I hadn't even mentioned yet, right? Of course, we're also talking about artistry and adaptability. And so that's a blossom right there, when you see young people taking a medium that has stifled and stymied so many, actually managing to give it some creative vitality–that's a pretty strong testament to the organization's strength overall. And then, lastly, going back to the system's change notion, one of the things that has really struck us is the attentiveness that Mosaic Youth Theater and DeLashea are giving to, particularly, transportation issues associated with being a program in Detroit, that in that particular context, in the city of Detroit, transportation is a barrier. And so, they are in conversations with others to try and tackle that barrier, you know, change the way in which transportation is available, and what it takes for young people to be able to literally go from one place to another in the city. So, the fact that they recognize that's not something they can solve on their own, that's something that they need to be in coalition regarding, tut at the same time, in the very short term, they are using some Lewis Prize funds to beef up their own ability just to provide some direct transportation. So, it's that amazing, amazing balancing of the daily operation, the meeting of the immediate needs, but also, being willing and capable and ambitious enough to step into a large civic conversation that, without ambition, feels intractable, but, with ambition, is always moveable.
Jeff M. Poulin
Thanks so much for sharing that. That really underscores a lot of what we heard from DeLashea, and provides some more context about the true vibrant nature of the type of program happening there in Detroit. So, to zoom out just a little bit, you yourself are a musician and a youth worker and a former leader of a creative youth development program. What is your hope for the type of recognition and investment from philanthropists like the Lewis Prize to positively impact not only those specific programs, but the field of creative youth development in the United States writ large.
Dalouge Smith
So, at the Lewis Prize for Music, we are trying to illuminate the full potency of creative youth development work. And so, that means illuminating the artistic side of the work. But it also means illuminating the wellbeing side of the work, the activist side of the work, and essentially trying to help other funding sources, whether those be philanthropic sources, or those be government agencies sources, helping them see that the goals they are obliged to fulfill, or the ambitions that they have for the resource that they're responsible for, that those outcomes can be achieved in a kind of exponentially greater fashion through creative youth development, than through through activities that don't include the arts. And so, you know, one of the things for example, that we've seen a lot of through the COVID pandemic, are organizations, putting young people to work, building out their both their literal employment, building out their skills with them, so that they've got workforce skills that are transferable outside of creative youth development settings, and, essentially, fostering in them an economic independence, which is, of course, essential for their their ability to thrive into the fullness of their lives. Well, very few, it's not zero, but very few of these programs are actually doing that with investment from workforce funds. So, that's one example of how might the way in which the Lewis Prize for Music is bringing attention to this work, and showing the interconnectedness of this work to these other worlds, right–in some respects, they almost feel like other worlds of conversationand resource. How do we build some some lines between those? How do we build some understanding that ultimately evolves into a real collaboration, so that those resources become accessible to creative youth development programs? And that's just one subject area. We've got folks working in mental health, folks working in academic-supports, technology access, folks working on the Movement for Black Lives or voter registration. I mean, we had organizations that were doing census work. And, in all these cases, right, the more in which that work gets seen alongside the value of the creative output, the more that that work actually has a chance of thriving on a larger platform.
Jeff M. Poulin
Well, it certainly sounds like you have some very exciting work ahead of you as you continue to administer the Lewis Prize for Music and support these wonderful programs. I want to thank you so much for being here with us to share a little bit about the work that you do. There's no doubt that we could have an entire episode dedicated to this transformational shift that you have a vision for in your project, and maybe someday we can do that. But for now, I will thank you again for being here on the Why Change? podcast, and we'll talk again soon.
Dalouge Smith
Great, thank you. And thanks for spending so much more time with DeLashea than you are with me.
Jeff M. Poulin
Thank you so much for listening to this special episode of the Why Change? podcast,coming to you live from the BOOSTconference. We want to thank the team at BOOST, our podcast lounge hosts, and especially BOOST’s Founding and Executive Director, TiaQuinn, for all of their work to make this episode possible. If you'd like to support this podcast, aimed at amplifying the voices of creative changemakers around the world, please consider donating through the link located in the episode's show notes. These show notes contain all sources discussed throughout the episode. Be sure to follow, like, subscribe, and share the Why Change? podcast to make sure you and your networks get episodes delivered directly to you and to not miss any stories of creative work happening around the world. If you haven't already, be sure to follow us on social media, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Also, we'd love to hear from you. You can write to us at info@creative-generation.org. We would love to hear your ideas about the topics you want to learn about and why change matters to you. Our show was produced and edited by Daniel Stanley. Our music is by Distant Cousins. A special thanks to our contributors, co-hosts, and the team at Creative Generation for their support.
Episode Summary
By Mazal Mones
During this episode of Why Change?, Jeff M. Poulin explores some of the exciting work taking place at the intersection of performing arts, social justice, and youth development. Live from the May 2021 BOOST conference podcast lounge, Jeff first interviews arts and culture champion DeLashea Strawder, 2021 recipient of The Lewis Prize for Music. DeLashea is the Executive & Artistic Director of the internationally acclaimed Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit, a creative youth development organization that uses the arts to mentor, empower, and support youth to thrive. Jeff then chats with Dalouge Smith, CEO of The Lewis Prize, to learn more about the organization’s transformative work supporting programs like DeLashea’s.
Throughout the episode, we learn more about DeLashea’s own journey: she herself was involved in Mosaic growing up, and began teaching and leading other youth there at age 16. Working with the organization for several years since, she is now at the forefront of Mosaic, catalyzing further opportunity and inspiration. She shares about her work at the theatre, and the resilient adaptability she and her young artists have practiced to continue creating amidst crisis. DeLashea emphasizes the arts as vehicles of change, healing, and dreaming, and she and her youth artists approach issues of climate crisis, structural racism, and the COVID pandemic through their creations. DeLashea also emphasizes the criticality of not only listening to, but truly elevating youth voices, as well as the duty to recognize and give back to the teaching artists who make this work possible. For her impacts at Mosaic, DeLashea and the theatre have been recognized with the Lewis Prize for Music, awarding them with $500,000 and 5+ years of collaboration with The Lewis Prize.
We get to learn more about this award from Dalouge Smith, who, in addition to being The Lewis Prize CEO, is a musician, longtime youth worker, Vice-Chair of El Sistema USA, and board member of California Arts Advocates and Californians for the Arts. Dalouge outlines the disruptive paradigm The Lewis Prize is setting forth, as the Prize seeks to not only be a funder, but a genuine partner. The organization has prioritized youth voices and diverse perspectives at every step of development and decision-making, and comprehensively supports its awardees beyond simply receiving the award. Like DeLashea, Dalouge emphasizes the criticality and connectedness of this work to the rest of society, and hopes The Lewis Prize will help forces beyond the creative youth development world realize this, too.
In this episode, you’ll hear about creative youth programming that realizes the performing arts as a vehicle of individual, community, and societal progress.